722 Main Street, Winona, Minnesota 55987
Harold Brock, Ford’s Project Manager responsible for
overseeing development of the joint 1939 venture between Henry Ford
and Harry Ferguson, was featured speaker at the National 9N 50th
Anniversary Celebration held in Rochester, Minnesota July 29-30,
1989. An audience of over 250 people listened in fascination as the
74 year old Brock recalled his experiences working with American
industrialist Henry Ford and Irishman Harry Ferguson on development
of the 1939 9N Ford tractor featuring the revolutionary Ferguson
three-point hydraulic hitch system. Brock related how the project
was moved from drawing board to production in only six months and
gave personal insight into the relationship between Ford, Ferguson
and other key players in the project. (Videotapes of Brock’s
program are available from the Olmsted County Historical Society,
P.O. Box 6411, Rochester, Minnesota 55903.)
The celebration, organized by Minnesota Ford tractor enthusiasts
Palmer Fossum and Ron Tepol, was held in conjunction with the 15th
Annual Mechanical History and Steam Threshing Show sponsored by the
Olmsted County Historical Society in Rochester, Minnesota. Billed
as the ‘National 9N Ford Ferguson 50th Anniversary
Celebration,’ the event received financial and promotional
assistance from Ford New Holland and drew participants from
throughout the United States.
A weekend of cloudy skies and drizzle did little to dampen the
enthusiasm of visitors who attended the event to enjoy
demonstrations of threshing, plowing, early crafts, and to see the
display of over three dozen 1939-1952 N class Ford tractors and
attachments. Sunday’s tractor pull featured a special class for
the 1939-1952 Fords. The event was won by Dan Storhoff of Winona,
Minnesota pulling a distance of 119.9 feet with a Ferguson 30,
followed by Homer Clark of LaValle, Wisconsin pulling 96.3 feet
with a 1940 Ford 9N.
The celebration concluded with presentation of awards to Ford
enthusiasts and the sale of ‘official celebration
souvenirs.’ Award winners were Dwight Emstrom of Galesburg,
Illinois for the the best restored 9N; Gene Bicknese of
Worthington, Minnesota for the most unusual accessory (a road
grader attachment); and Bob Brown of Vineland, New Jersey for the
furthest distance traveled by an exhibitor.
Ten limited edition souvenirs, each consisting of a numbered
model 9N tractor, mounted and accompanied by a certificate of
authenticity signed by Harold Brock were sold by sealed bid. High
bid for souvenir number one was $253 and over $1,900 was raised
from the sale of souvenirs, to benefit the Historical Society. In
spite of the uncooperative weather, all participants felt the
celebration had been a great success and look forward to returning
to Minnesota to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ford 2N in
1992.